Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-04
WAS HE DROWNED l?
William A. Douglass, Of LeadVille,
Colorado, Dies While Bathing
at Beck's Hot Springs.
p. ID. Sprague, the Hackman, Takes
Him Out Alive and Brings
Him Back Dead.
Bruises on the Face-A Free Mason OF
High Standing-Registered at
the Continental.

william A. Douglass, LeadVille, Colo, !"
is the way large man of medium height
registered when he arrived at the
Continental Hotel in this city on
Thursday last. The man was given
room at the hotel and remained there up
to last night.
Since his arrival he has been in the
habit of going out to Beck's Hot Springs
once a day and has always been driven
out by P. D. Sprague, a hackman who
has more than once figured before the
public. Yesterday afternoon Sprague
drove him out as usual, and after he had
taken his bath he was driven back to the
hotel.
HIS LAST TRIP.
Last evening at about 8 o'clock,
Sprague drove around to the Continental
where he says he had an engagement
with couple of parties, but being a lit
tie late he missed his customers. He
SAYS that Douglass then came to him and
said he wanted to 90 to the Springs.
Sprague agreed to take him and Douglass
got into the hack and Sprague drove
leisurely to the bath house. Arriving there,
Douglass undressed and got into the water.
Sprague, in the meantime, hitched his
horses, and going into the big bath house
where his passenger was bathing, he
stood on the bridge which spans the
middle of the tub and began to talk to
Douglass. The latter answered Sprague's
questions and talked with him for some
fifteen minutes. Douglass was very near
the bridge and was floating on his back,
when Sprague asked him if he didn't
think it was time to come out. He made
no answer, but hoated on toward the
southeast corner of the bath. Sprague says
that his hands seemed to be moving as
though he were
SWIMMING ON HIS BACK
But there was no sign of any struggle.
Thinking it strange that the man did not
answer, Sprague walked to the north end
of the bridge in order to get better view
of him. There were but two lamps
burning in the place, and as the water
was steaming, Sprague could only get a
glimpse of the man. After a wait of a
couple of minutes, the hackman again
spoke and again receiving no reply, he
crossed the bridge and went toward the
corner where the man was. Here he
found Douglass floating on his back anG
reaching down he caught the cold hand
and drew the form toward him, only tc
find that
DOUGLAS WAS DEAD.
Sprague says he was badly startled
and screamed for help, thinking that the
man who runs the bath-house would hear
him and come in. 1t happened, how.
ever, that Herbert Slade, the Maori, was
the only man within hearing, and was
the first to run to Sprague's assistance
Sprague told Slade that the man was
dead, and the two then lifted the corpse
onto the platform. They laid the form
face downward and began to roll it to get
the water out.
Just then Slade suggested that Mrs
Martin, the lady who keeps the boarding
house at the Springs, would know what
to do, as she is a doctor. Mrs. Martin
was called, and told the men to stand the
men to stand the body on its head. They
took hold of the feet and did so, but there
was but little warer came from the mouth
The nose and mouth, however, filled witt
froth and gave the face CHASTITY look.
All efforts to revive the man were
futile and laying the body to one side
Sprague proceeded to the telephone
Undertaken Joseph William Taylor was
called up, and proceeding to the Springs
with his wagon he brought the corpse K
his establishment on West Temple street
WAS HE DROWNED?
The fact that Sprague says that the
man died in the water is not conclusive
evidence that he was drowned. Ii
fact, if it is so that he spoke bu
two minutes before he was taker
out, the drowning theory is no
at all probable. The frothing al
the mouth and nose would seem to indi
cate some kind of poisoning or else thai
the man had taken fit Altogether the
death was a strange one and nothing
short of a post mortem examination viii
explain it.
HE WAS RICH MAN.
AS soon as the news of the death be
came known this morning, there were
many inquiries as to the identity of the
man. 7. w. Collins, formerly of Lead.
vile, but now of this city, says that
Douglass is wealthy citizen Of
the above named town, and he
(Collins) has to-day telegraphed the news
to the dead mans wife. He says that
Douglass owns at least 100000 worth Of
property in Leadville. Another gentle
man, a guest of the Continental, says
that lie has talked with Douglass and
found that he was Free Mason of high
rank, belonging to an Iowa lodge.
1t is admitted by all who knew Doug
lass, that he has been on big tear ever
since his arrival here, and Sprague said
that he told him yesterday that he was
on a seven days drunk-the first one he
had had in seven years. He told
Sprague yesterday that he was SO years
of age.
When the undertaken arrived he found
the mans face to be pretty badly bruised
and skinned. Sprague says that this was
done when they were trying to revive
him.
A SIDE STORY.
An employee of the Continental says that
Douglass was seen going into the bar last
night arm in arm with Sprague, and that
he was heard to say something about
wanting to take a woman with him, but
how true this is will probably come out
later.
1t is said that Douglass was friend of
George NJ. Scott, of this city, who is now
in Denver, and yesterday he gave the
hotel clerk a check to cash with Mr.
Scott's signature on it.
Taking all that can be learned in seems
altogether likely that there is something
more to the story than the simple part
told by Sprague. If so it will likely be
brought out at the inquest to be held at
4 O'Clock this afternoon.
A Great Novelty.
The latest craze in fancy work is a